Autopista Somosierra-Guadalajara. Tramo: Horcajo de la Sierra-Madarcos

El desarrollo del proyecto de la nueva autopista Somosierra-Guadalajara, en el que se integra el tramo que es objeto de este proyecto (Horcajo de la Sierra-Madarcos) tiene como finalidad fundamental el crear una vía de acceso para conectar la ciudad de Guadalajara con el Norte Peninsular, en concreto con la Autovía del Norte A-1, sin la necesidad de tener que cruzar las autovías ya de por sí congestionadas en la Comunidad de Madrid. Del mismo modo se pretende generar un nuevo acceso mediante una vía de calidad y rápida, a pequeñas poblaciones situadas tanto en la Provincia de Guadalajara, como en la Comunidad de Madrid, en la zona Noreste de la tradicionalmente conocida como “Sierra de Madrid”.

E.D.A.R. de Valverde del Júcar

Este proyecto, tiene por objeto, definir las diferentes obras e instalaciones necesarias para poder realizar, de acuerdo con la normativa vigente, el tratamiento de la totalidad de las aguas residuales producidas en el municipio de Valverde del Júcar, situando en la provincia de Cuenca. Las obras que se consideran incluidas en la construcción de la E.D.A.R. de Valverde del Júcar son las siguientes: Bombeo de las aguas residuales a tratar. Toma de entrada de las aguas residuales a la estación de tratamiento Instalaciones de tratamiento de las aguas residuales (E.D.A.R.) Restitución del efluente tratado Instalaciones de energía eléctrica, agua potable y telefonía necesarias para el funcionamiento correcto de la estación. Carretera de acceso a la planta.

Parque eólico offshore de Oyambre

La finalidad de este documento es la redaccion del proyecto de un futuro parque eolico offshore en la costa Cantabra, mas concretamente en el termino municipal de San Vicente de la Barquera, de la manera mas clara, detallada y simple posible, tratando de cumplir los siguientes objetivos: Servir de soporte tecnico para llevar a cabo la realizacion del parque eolico offshore en la costa asturiana, en el termino municipal de San Vciente de la Barquera. Estudiar de manera detallada las posibles alternativas y obtener la solucion mas optima y viable tanto funcional como economicamente. Ilustrar el modo de realizacion de los parques eolicos offshore junto con otros proyectos analogos a modo de guia para futuros proyectos de este tipo. Impulsar la construccion de parques eolicos marinos en Espana, para cumplir el Plan de Energias Renovables 2005-2011 integrado en el marco comunitario e internacional, ya que la C.E.E. se ha propuesto que las energias renovables participen con un 20% en el consumo energetico total de la Union en el ano 2020. Motivar a la Comunidad Autonoma y al municipio a la apuesta por este modo de energia renovable, pionero a dia de hoy en Espana, como ejemplo para otras Comunidades Autonomas y otras Administraciones Publicas potenciando la implantacion de este nuevo modelo de tecnologia sensible con el medioambiente. Servir de soporte tecnico para la obtencion de la Autorizacion Administrativa y la Aprobacion del Proyecto de construccion y la puesta en marcha del parque eolico offshore de Oyambre. Por tanto, La energia eolica marina es considerada como uno de los recursos renovables que mas decididamente pueden contribuir a conseguir los objetivos anteriores en la Union Europea.

High-Speed Rail Versus Air Transportation: Case Study of Madrid–Barcelona, Spain.

Travel time savings, better quality of the supplied services, greater comfort for the users, and improved accessibility are the main factors of success of High Speed Rail(HSR)links. This paper presents the results from a revealed and stated preference survey conducted to both HSR and air transport users in the Madrid Barcelona corridor. The data gathered from the stated preference survey was used to calibrate a modal choice model aiming at explaining competition between HSR and air transportation in the corridor. From the model, the authors obtain that prices and service frequency are the most important variables to compete with the other mode. In addition, they found that check-in and security controls at the airport are a crucial variable for the users in their modal choice. Other policies, such as the improvement of parking facilities at the train stations, play a secondary role.

Impact of the Economic Recession on Toll Highway Concessions in Spain

After joining the European Union in 1986, Spain experienced steady economic growth that enabled the country to grow at a greater pace than other European countries. During this period, the government of Spain opted for major investments in public infrastructure by taking advantage both of the funding provided by the European Union and of several types of public-private-partnership (PPP) approaches. Within this framework, the government of Spain between 1996 and 2004 procured a series of toll highway concessions. These concessions entered into operation a few years before the global economic recession made itself felt in Spain. The concession contracts signed between the government and some private consortia allocated most of the risks (expropriation, construction, and traffic) to the private sector. In this paper the impact that the economic recession has had on the business performance of the concessionaires is assessed, and the effectiveness of the measures adopted by the government to help the concessionaire to avoid bankruptcy is analyzed. It was found that some of the guarantees offered by the legal framework to the concessionaires in case of bankruptcy are prompting an outcome that could negatively affect the users. In addition to that, some suggestions as to how to better allocate risk in toll highway concessions in the future are provided.

Traffic uncertainty in toll motorway concessions in Spain

This study assessed the inaccuracy of the traffic estimates for toll motorway concessions in Spain. It was found that the estimates conducted by both the government and the concessionaire showed a significant bias towards overestimating traffic. The level of overestimation in Spain is even greater than that reported by other studies based on worldwide data. The notorious levels of overestimation entail severe burdens to the economics of the concessionaires that often prompt renegotiations of the contracts, which are often accepted by the government. These renegotiations usually end up with toll changes or extension of the concession terms, which have to be ultimately borne by future motorway users. It is postulated herein that the bias towards overestimating traffic in toll motorways in Spain is mostly caused by strategic issues rather than by modelling errors.

Implantación de nuevos sistemas electrónicos de cobro de peaje en España

El sistema de cobro de peaje de las principales autopistas españolas únicamente posibilita que los usuarios realicen el pago de la tarifa del peaje, en el mejor de los casos ralentizando la marcha de sus vehículos, u obligándoles a parar en las playas de peaje. Este artículo hace un recorrido de los distintos sistemas de cobro de peaje existentes, analizando la perspectiva técnica y legal. Como consecuencia, se realizan una serie de recomendaciones que posibiliten la implantación del free flow como sistema de cobro electrónico de peaje referente en España; aprovechando las ventajas que este novedoso sistema ofrece.

Efficiency and spatial equity impacts of high-speed rail extensions in urban areas

Urban areas benefit from significant improvements in accessibility when a new high speed rail (HSR) project is built. These improvements, which are due mainly to a rise in efficiency, produce locational advantagesand increase the attractiveness of these cities, thereby possibly enhancing their competitivenessand economic growth. However, there may be equity issues at stake, as the main accessibility benefits are primarily concentrated in urban areas with a HSR station, whereas other locations obtain only limited benefits. HSR extensions may contribute to an increase in spatial imbalance and lead to more polarized patterns of spatial development. Procedures for assessing the spatial impacts of HSR must therefore follow a twofold approach which addresses issues of both efficiency and equity. This analysis can be made by jointly assessing both the magnitude and distribution of the accessibility improvements deriving from a HSR project. This paper describes an assessment methodology for HSR projects which follows this twofold approach. The procedure uses spatial impact analysis techniques and is based on the computation of accessibility indicators, supported by a Geographical Information System (GIS). Efficiency impacts are assessed in terms of the improvements in accessibility resulting from the HSR project, with a focus on major urban areas; and spatial equity implications are derived from changes in the distribution of accessibility values among these urban agglomerations.

Evolución del conocimiento del hormigón estructural hasta 1970

El presente documento se ha titulado “Evolución del conocimiento del hormigón estructural hasta 1970”. El lector puede caer en la tentación de considerarlo como una mera recopilación de información, sin embargo, nada más lejano. Esta destinado a ser un manual de uso para los Ingenieros que tengan que tratar con patrimonio construido, Ingenieros que tengan que pronunciarse sobre su capacidad resistente, para lo cual, necesitan los criterios con que se proyecto y construyo de modo que puedan adoptar hoy las soluciones adecuadas. Conociendo el año de construcción de una estructura, debe poder determinar los factores que la perfilaron y a la inversa, partiendo de una determinada estructura deben ser capaces de determinar los criterios con que se proyecto. El desarrollo de este documento de apoyo ha implicado hacer una traducción de las unidades, nomenclatura y costumbres que se empleaban en aquella época, que además ha evolucionado a lo largo de los años y según los autores, a las unidades y nomenclatura que se emplean hoy, suponiendo una labor ardua para el autor de este documento. Conociendo la evolución de la curva de resistencias en todo momento, se puede determinar la distancia existente entre el valor de las solicitaciones y las resistencias del hormigón, obteniendo el correspondiente coeficiente de seguridad y vida útil de la estructura. Es el estudio que recoge este documento. Inicialmente se pensó en hacer un estudio de los métodos de calculo y condicionantes de seguridad, pero a medida que se fue ahondando en todos los criterios que utilizaban, se opto por desarrollar el calculo a flexión simple de secciones rectangulares y secciones en T así como el cálculo de soportes (el resto de los casos que no se recogen abren nuevas e importantes líneas de investigación), y la inclusión de todos los criterios con que diseñaban estructuras, incluyendo los materiales, y los criterios de seguridad que empleaban. Por tanto, el alcance del presente documento es absolutamente técnico, pretende contraponer los métodos de calculo de antaño con los actuales convirtiéndose en una guía obligada del pasado para los ingenieros de hoy. A su vez, dentro del extenso marco del conocimiento, este trabajo se ha centrado en puentes, pudiendo generalizar estos conocimientos para cualquier otra tipología de estructura de la época.

Nueva pasarela peatonal en Móstoles sobre la autovía A5

El presente Proyecto de Construcción se enmarca dentro de las labores de urbanización del sector 5 de Móstoles, y que incluye la Construcción del Nuevo hospital (convirtiendo a Móstoles en el segundo municipio de Madrid con dos hospitales, después de la ciudad de Madrid), del Parque Científico Móstoles Tecnológico y de un recorrido peatonal que discurre entre ambas infraestructuras y la Universidad existente (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos de Móstoles). La construcción del recorrido peatonal cuenta con el problema de la existencia, entre el Hospital y el Parque Científico, de la Autovía del Suroeste A-5, que crea un importante efecto barrera a la comunicación entre ambas infraestructuras. Como solución a este problema, el presente Proyecto propone la construcción de una estructura que permita el paso de los peatones desde el Parque Científico hasta el Hospital y viceversa, y que a la vez permita mitigar el efecto barrera producido por la Autovía.

Viaducto sobre el río Irati

En este documento se describe de manera resumida el proceso seguido para la redacción del proyecto de construcción del Viaducto sobre el río Irati, en la autovía del Pirineo A-21, tramo Venta de Judas - Yesa (en el término municipal de Liédana, Navarra).

Improving probabilistic flood forecasting through a data assimilation scheme based on genetic programming

Opportunities offered by high performance computing provide a significant degree of promise in the enhancement of the performance of real-time flood forecasting systems. In this paper, a real-time framework for probabilistic flood forecasting through data assimilation is presented. The distributed rainfall-runoff real-time interactive basin simulator (RIBS) model is selected to simulate the hydrological process in the basin. Although the RIBS model is deterministic, it is run in a probabilistic way through the results of calibration developed in a previous work performed by the authors that identifies the probability distribution functions that best characterise the most relevant model parameters. Adaptive techniques improve the result of flood forecasts because the model can be adapted to observations in real time as new information is available. The new adaptive forecast model based on genetic programming as a data assimilation technique is compared with the previously developed flood forecast model based on the calibration results. Both models are probabilistic as they generate an ensemble of hydrographs, taking the different uncertainties inherent in any forecast process into account. The Manzanares River basin was selected as a case study, with the process being computationally intensive as it requires simulation of many replicas of the ensemble in real time.

Meteocean Influence on Inland and Coastal Floods in the East of Spain

The Santa Irene flood, at the end of October 1982, is one of the most dramatically and widely reported flood events in Spain. Its renown is mainly attributable to the collapse of the Tous dam, but its main message is to be the paradigm of the incidence of the maritime/littoral weather and its temporal sea-level rise on the coastal plains inland floods. The Santa Irene flood was attributable to a meteorological phenomenon known as gota fría (cold drop), a relatively frequent and intense rainy phenomenon on the Iberian Peninsula, particularly on the Spanish E to SE inlands and coasts. There are some circumstances that can easily come together to unleash the cold drop there: cold and dry polar air masses coming onto the whole Iberian Peninsula and the north of Africa, high sea-water temperatures, and low atmospheric pressure (cyclone) areas in the western Mediterranean basin; these circumstances are quite common during the autumn and, as it happens, in other places around the world (E/SE Africa). Their occurrence, however, shows a great space-temporal variability (in a similar way to hurricanes on Caribbean and western North Atlantic areas or also in a similar way to typhoons). In fact, all of these are equivalent, although different, phenomena, able to have a different magnitude each time. This paper describes the results of a detailed analysis and reflection about this cold drop phenomenon as a whole, on the generation of its rains, and on the different natures and consequences of its flood. This paper also explains the ways in which the nearby maritime weather and the consequential sea level govern floods on different zones of any hydrographical basin. The Santa Irene case can be considered as a paradigm to explain the influence of nearby maritime climatic conditions on flooding phenomena not only in coastal but also in upward inland areas.

Diagnosing Causes of Water Scarcity in Complex Water Resources Systems and Identifying Risk Management Actions

From the water management perspective, water scarcity is an unacceptable risk of facing water shortages to serve water demands in the near future. Water scarcity may be temporary and related to drought conditions or other accidental situation, or may be permanent and due to deeper causes such as excessive demand growth, lack of infrastructure for water storage or transport, or constraints in water management. Diagnosing the causes of water scarcity in complex water resources systems is a precondition to adopt effective drought risk management actions. In this paper we present four indices which have been developed to evaluate water scarcity. We propose a methodology for interpretation of index values that can lead to conclusions about the reliability and vulnerability of systems to water scarcity, as well as to diagnose their possible causes and to propose solutions. The described methodology was applied to the Ebro river basin, identifying existing and expected problems and possible solutions. System diagnostics, based exclusively on the analysis of index values, were compared with the known reality as perceived by system managers, validating the conclusions in all cases

A simple genetic algorithm for calibration of stochastic rock discontinuity networks

Este artículo propone un método para llevar a cabo la calibración de las familias de discontinuidades en macizos rocosos. We present a novel approach for calibration of stochastic discontinuity network parameters based on genetic algorithms (GAs). To validate the approach, examples of application of the method to cases with known parameters of the original Poisson discontinuity network are presented. Parameters of the model are encoded as chromosomes using a binary representation, and such chromosomes evolve as successive generations of a randomly generated initial population, subjected to GA operations of selection, crossover and mutation. Such back-calculated parameters are employed to make assessments about the inference capabilities of the model using different objective functions with different probabilities of crossover and mutation. Results show that the predictive capabilities of GAs significantly depend on the type of objective function considered; and they also show that the calibration capabilities of the genetic algorithm can be acceptable for practical engineering applications, since in most cases they can be expected to provide parameter estimates with relatively small errors for those parameters of the network (such as intensity and mean size of discontinuities) that have the strongest influence on many engineering applications.